Questions & Answers
- How has Awards for All changed in Northern Ireland?
- When does this change become effective?
- What is the aim of the programme?
- Can we apply for funding up to £20,000 for the same project?
- What geographical area does Awards for All cover?
- What type of projects will the programme support
- Who can apply for an Awards for All grant?
- When will we hear a decision?
- What happens after I submit my application form?
- Who can I contact about more information?
The Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme in Northern Ireland will continue to provide grants of between £500 and £10,000. But you can now re-apply for funding up to a maximum of £20,000 in any 12-month period.
This means:
- You can only hold one award up to £10,000 at any one time.
- You can reapply for funding if we have received your completed end of award report, but we cannot make a decision until we have approved the report together with any other monitoring requirements.
From 1st April 2010. An updated application from and guidance notes will be available from this date.
The main aim of the programme is to bring real improvements to communities and to the lives of people most in need by funding projects which involve people in their communities, bringing them together to enjoy a wide range of charitable, community, educational, environmental and health-related activities.
Each project for which funding is being sought should have a specific start and completion date by which its objectives and/or activities will be completed by. We cannot fund ongoing projects or costs such as salaries.
The people who will benefit from BIG’s Awards for All must live in Northern Ireland.
BIG will continue to run Awards for All to support a wide range of charitable, community, educational, environmental and health-related activities. We will give high priority to activities that are new or develop what you do now and we welcome applications for projects combining a range of community projects.
Some examples of projects funded by Awards for All are:
- developing an existing service your area, such as a playgroup, lunch club or information centre
- helping your neighborhood organisation to set up a new service in your community
- small improvements to premises that you own or lease.
More examples of the type of projects Award for All supports can be found in the guidance notes.
You can apply to BIG’s Awards for All if you are:
- a voluntary and community organisation, or
- a statutory organisation.
We cannot make awards to:
- Individuals and sole traders
- Companies which aim to distribute a profit
- Organisations not legally established in the UK
You will normally hear a decision within three months of BIG receiving your completed application, although it may take longer if your application is incomplete. The speed of decisions is also dependent on the number of applications we receive.
When we receive your application form and supporting documents, we will acknowledge them within five working days. We will check to see if your application is complete.
If your application is complete we will give you a reference number to use in the future. We will then assess your application.
If your application is incomplete, we will give you a reference number but we will not be able to process your application further. We will write to you asking for the missing information and give you 10 working days to send it to us. If we do not receive all of the missing information by the deadline, we will not assess your application and will withdraw it.
For further information, contact the information team in Big Lottery Fund's Belfast office.
Big Lottery Fund
T: 028 9055 1455
F: 028 9055 1445
Textphone: 028 9055 1431
Information is also available on our website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
